13 weird moments from football's close season that defy all logic
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What on Earth has happened to football?
"The game’s gone" has been a familiar trope among the 'Things-ain’t-what-they-used-to-be' brigade for some time, but it appears this summer, they might just have a point.
And just when we were beginning to ponder this very question, rumours began to fly about which simply confirmed our fears - could Neymar really be moving from Barcelona to PSG for €222m (£197m)?
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But of course he could.
From transfer fees to kit launches, from pre-season tours to player signing announcements, this summer has been full of weird moments. It's enough to leave you wondering if the beautiful game can ever be the same again.
At Three, we're all about progress, but here are some of the things from the close season that have made us wonder if football is actually feeling alright.
When Arsenal released this video
The attention to detail is stunning. Just look at the concentration and 'out of breath' expressions etched on Alexis Sanchez et al.
In fact, Arsenal fans might be wondering why they haven't seen the kind of leadership from Mesut Ozil on the pitch.
When Swansea City slapped a £50m price tag on Gylfi Sigurdsson
The amazing thing is that at least two potential buyers - Everton and Leicester - don't seem to be put off by a price tag greater than what Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane at the peak of his powers.
When Huddersfield released the same away kit that they wore in 1991
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An absolutely incredible move from the newly promoted Terriers. According to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, fans hold the shirt in great affection:
"Back on 14 September 1991, Town sported the kit as they famously came back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 in a dramatic Division Three outing, with Iwan Roberts and Phil Starbuck bagging braces to complete the comeback."
Premier League, you have been warned.
When Ronaldinho rocked up in Peckham
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Don't think you can call that a muted reception.
Fair enough, it's not every day that the world's greatest player (circa 2005) turns up at your local 5-a-side pitch.
Scenes.
When Wayne Rooney defied time
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Wayne Rooney rejoined boyhood club Everton this summer in a move that had football romantics purring.
And it took Wazza just 34 minutes to score on his return, curling in this belting strike in Tanzania.
But the goal bore a striking resemblance to the one that made him a household name, external during his first spell at Everton way back in 2002.
Honestly, it's like the last 15 years never happened.
When Bologna went all out in the pre-season friendly
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What happened to the "Guys, it's a friendly" team talk?
Serie A side Bologna clearly treated their pre-season encounter with the second best team in San Marino like a cup final.
Those 12 minutes between the 30th and 42nd minute goals must've been boring though.
When new Watford signing Nathaniel Chalobah heard someone mispronounce his name
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There's nothing more irritating than when someone gets your name wrong. Repeatedly. Still, at least they didn't do the classic, misspell your name in the body of an email even though your email address IS your own bloody name.
When New Balance came up with an elaborate reason for a bright orange kit
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Well, 'Inspired by the highlighter pens I found in my pencil case' is not going to please the fans, is it?
When you realise how much Man City have spent on defenders
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Two Yorkshire lads there combining for £97.5m at the top of this table of the world's most expensive defenders.
When Arsenal arrived in China for a pre-season tour and did all this
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Perhaps Laurent Koscielny is such a diva that he insists Arsenal bring his own personal wheelie bin from home on the pre-season tour?
Hats off to new signing Alexandre Lacazette for getting stuck in right away.
When Chelsea released this video to announce signing Antonio Rudiger, but they were justnull
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What happened to a photo of a player holding up a shirt while leaning on a goalpost?
And it was left to Southampton to troll them all...
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Well played, Saints. Well played.
Stuart, your socks are filthy, though.
When Real Madrid signed Dani Ceballos and put a €500m release clause in his contract
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Ceballos scored a whopping seven goals in three years at Real Betis. Hmmm.
Mind you, if Neymar can get prised away from Barcelona so easily, maybe €500m isn't so crazy after all. At today's exchange rates, it's only about 10 Gylfi Sigurdssons.
